hang tight

English

Etymology

From hang +‎ tight, possibly in part from a blend of hang on +‎ hold tight.

Verb

hang tight (third-person singular simple present hangs tight, present participle hanging tight, simple past and past participle hung tight)

1. (informal, chiefly imperative) To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time.
   • 2003, Avery Cardoza, Winning Casino Play, page 198:

     And should a really large payoff be hit, a jackpot, the machines will make a bunch of noise, a light may go off atop the machine and you just hang tight, a casino employee should be there soon to give you the payoff.

   • 2009, Karen Smith, Desert Rose, page 540:

     The day before I was supposed to fly out I called my friend Mike back home and explained what was happening and he told me to hang tight while he tried to figure out what to do, he knew his friend Phil who was an Ex Marine who once served under Mikes command, was working out here and luckily for me he was based on VBC, so he asked him for a favour, to hide me until he felt it was safe to fly me out, Mike then called me back and gave me Phil's number, and that he was expecting my call when I arrive on Victory.

   • 2011, Linda Castillo, Operation: Midnight Cowboy:

     I'll call you back when I've got someone in the air. I'll need your coordinates at that time. In the interim, you're going to have to hang tight, buddy.

   • 2012, David Baldacci ·, The Innocent:

     “Hang tight.” He heard the feet running away again. Robie looked down at Julie and back over at the window. He wasn't hanging tight. He pulled out his phone, thumbed Vance's number.

   • 2013, Ben Muse, Killing Chase:

     Hang tight, Mr. Hampton. Let me run you through the system, write your ticket, and we'll have you on your way soon.

   • 2014, Renaldo Martin, Sins Beneath the Cloth, page 190:

     I'm gonna call Captain Doby and talk to him about your situation. In the meantime, you guys just hang tight until we get back with you.

   • 2019, Ronan Farrow, Catch and Kill:

     “Noah, if you want more, I need to be able to go out and get it.” “I know, I know,” he said. “I'm just saying hang tight till Monday.”

   • 2021, Elizabeth Foutch, City of Chaos and Mayhem, page 165:

     “Okay mom, you need to hang tight and we need to figure out a plan. Don't do anything yet. We are on our way.”

   • 2021, Anneli Lort, Flowers in Bloom:

     “For now, just hang tight.” “Hang tight?” Hattie cried. “My baby girl is in danger and you're telling us to hang tight?”

2. To grasp tightly.
   • 2012, S. P. Foster, Phoenix on the Run, page 97:

     “Well, ya better hang tight cause when these boys take off yull be in fer the ride ofa lifetime.”

   • 2016, Monica La Porta, The Fifth Moon's Wolf:

     Then Lobo whispered to Mirella, “Hang tight,” and propelled the airbike forward, taking off with a loud roar of the engines. She didn't need to hang tight though because he crossed one arm over her chest and pressed her to him.

   • 2019, Frank Hamilton Cushing, Zuñi Folk Tales:

     "Hang tight, my friends! Hang tight! Hang tight!” said he, when, suddenly, one near the top, in the agitation of the moment, began to sneeze, lost his hold, and down the whole string, hundreds of them, fell, and were completely flattened out among the rocks.

   • 2021, Valerie Keogh, The Lies He Told: A Gripping Psychological Suspense:

     I was hanging tight to what was left of my sanity.

See also

• hang loose

References

• “hang tight”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.